Modelling and simulation method

Abstract

A method for simulating behavior of first and second interrelated components within a system. The method comprises modelling behavior of said first and second components using first and second functional specifications; simulating behavior of said first and second components in predetermined circumstances by instantiating at least one first entity within a hierarchy of interrelated entities; and instantiating at least one further entity in response to the or each instantiated first entity. The or each further entity is selected by a simulation system on the basis of its hierarchical relationship with the at least one first entity.

1. A method for simulating behavior of first and second interrelated components within a system comprising:
 modeling behavior of said first and second components using first and second functional specifications, the first functional specification comprising an activity; 
 creating an interface between the first and second functional specifications that comprises communications between the first and second functional specifications and a relationship between the communications, the communications comprising at least one child communication and at least one parent communication that comprises the at least one child communication; 
 simulating behavior of said first and second components in predetermined circumstances at least by:
 generating a first time queue entry for the activity of the first functional specification; 
 based on the activity, creating a second time queue entry for a first communication of the communications between the first and second functional specifications; 
 creating at least one further time queue entry for a second communication in response to the generating of the second time queue entry, the at least one further time queue entry being selected based at least on the relationship between the communications of the interface; and 
 creating a link associated with the at least one further time queue entry that identifies the first communication as a parent of the second communication, or a link associated with the at least one further time queue entry that identifies the first communication as a child of the second communication; 
 wherein the first component is modeled at a higher level of abstraction than the second component, or the second component is modeled at a higher level of abstraction than the first component; and 
 wherein the simulating includes encountering a first construct for the first functional specification that signals a first language simulator to simulate on the basis of a first programming language and encountering a second construct for the second functional specification that signals a different language simulator to simulate on the basis of a second programming language. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first communication comprises the at least one parent communication and the second communication comprises the at least one child communication. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first communication comprises the at least one parent communication and the second communication comprises the at least one parent communication. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1  further comprising generating a recognition algorithm at least using the interface; and
 wherein the at least one further time queue entry is selected using at least the recognition algorithm. 
 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1  further comprising generating a generation algorithm at least using the interface; and
 wherein the at least one further time queue entry is selected using at least the generation algorithm. 
 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one child communication is at a lower level of abstraction than the at least one parent communication. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1  further comprising, creating status information associated with the at least one further time queue entry that indicates that the second communication is recognized as complete. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 1  further comprising, creating status information associated with the at least one further time queue entry that indicates that the second communication is generated. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1  further comprising, receiving the second communication by an activity of the second functional specification at a higher level of abstraction than that of the first communication. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1  further comprising, receiving the second communication by an activity of the second functional specification at a lower level of abstraction than that of the first communication. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second functional specifications are written in different programming languages. 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 1  further comprising displaying a result of the behavioral simulation of the first and second components. 
     
     
       13. A program code storage device, comprising:
 a machine-readable storage medium; and 
 machine-readable program code, stored on the machine-readable storage medium, the machine readable program code having instructions, which when executed cause a computer to: 
 model behavior of said first and second components using first and second functional specifications, the first functional specification comprising an activity; 
 create an interface between the first and second functional specifications that comprises communications between the first and second functional specifications and a relationship between the communications, the communications comprising at least one child communication and at least one parent communication that comprises the at least one child communication; 
 simulate behavior of said first and second components in predetermined circumstances at least by:
 generate a first time queue entry for the activity of the first functional specification; 
 based on the activity, create a second time queue entry for a first communication of the communications between the first and second functional specifications; 
 create at least one further time queue entry for a second communication in response to the generating of the second time queue entry, the at least one further time queue entry being selected based at least on the relationship between the communications of the interface; and 
 creating a link associated with the at least one further time queue entry that identifies the first communication as a parent of the second communication, or a link associated with the at least one further time queue entry that identifies the first communication as a child of the second communication; 
 wherein the first component is modeled at a higher level of abstraction than the second component, or the second component is modeled at a higher level of abstraction than the first component; and 
 wherein the simulating includes encountering a first construct for the first functional specification that signals a first language simulator to simulate on the basis of a first programming language and encountering a second construct for the second functional specification that signals a different language simulator to simulate on the basis of a second programming language. 
 
 
     
     
       14. An apparatus for simulating behavior of first and second interrelated components within a system comprising:
 means for modeling behavior of said first and second components using first and second functional specifications, the first functional specification comprising an activity; 
 means for creating an interface between the first and second functional specifications that comprises communications between the first and second functional specifications and a relationship between the communications, the communications comprising at least one child communication and at least one parent communication that comprises the at least one child communication; 
 means for simulating behavior of said first and second components in predetermined circumstances at least by:
 means for generating a first time queue entry for the activity of the first functional specification; 
 means for creating, based on the activity, a second time queue entry for a first communication of the communications between the first and second functional specifications; 
 means for creating at least one further time queue entry for a second communication in response to the generating of the second time queue entry, the at least one further time queue entry being selected based at least on the relationship between the communications of the interface; and 
 means for creating a link associated with the at least one further time queue entry that identifies the first communication as a child of the second communication; 
 wherein the second component is modeled at a higher level of abstraction than the first component; and 
 wherein the means for simulating includes simulating by encountering a first construct for the first functional specification that signals a first language simulator to simulate on the basis of a first programming language and by encountering a second construct for the second functional specification that signals a different language simulator to simulate on the basis of a second programming language. 
 
 
     
     
       15. A method for simulating behavior of first and second interrelated components within a system comprising:
 modeling behavior of said first and second components using first and second functional specifications, the first functional specification comprising an activity; 
 creating an interface between the first and second functional specifications that comprises communications between the first and second functional specifications and a relationship between the communications, the communications comprising at least one child communication and at least one parent communication that comprises the at least one child communication; and 
 simulating behavior of said first and second components in predetermined circumstances at least by:
 generating a first time queue entry for the activity of the first functional specification; 
 based on the activity, creating a second time queue entry for the at least one parent communication of the communications between the first and second functional specifications; 
 creating at least one further time queue entry for the at least one child communication in response to the generating of the second time queue entry, the at least one further time queue entry being selected using at least a generation algorithm that creates the one further time queue entry based at least on the at least one parent communication being at a higher abstraction level than the at least one child communication; and 
 creating a link associated with the at least one further time queue entry that identifies the at least one parent communication as a parent of the at least one child communication; 
 wherein the first component is modeled at a higher level of abstraction than the second component; and 
 
 wherein the simulating includes encountering a first construct for the first functional specification that signals a first language simulator to simulate on the basis of a first programming language and encountering a second construct for the second functional specification that signals a different language simulator to simulate on the basis of a second programming language.